Sridevi returns to Bollywood

Plus: Prabhu Deva starring in a 3D dance movie, Urumi takes top honours at Imagineindia, and Riteish Deshmukh is expanding his range.

Bollywood actress Sridevi. Dhiraj Singh / AP

The actress Sridevi's comeback film English Vinglish was written with only her in mind, says its producer R Balki. "It's a very special film because it marks her comeback. She is one of the greatest performers," said Balki, whose wife Gauri Shinde is the movie's director. Sridevi, 48, was last seen on the big screen in 1997's Judaai. In this new project, she plays a housewife who struggles to speak in English. Balki said of the theme: "In India, it's a major problem – a lot of people are insecure because of it. The film tackles that struggle." English Vinglish also features Adil Hussain, Priya Anand and the French actor Mehdi Nebbou, with a guest appearance by Amitabh Bachchan. * IANS

Prabhu Deva stars in 3D dance film

After the success of his latest film Rowdy Rathore, the choreographer and director Prabhu Deva will next be seen starring in the movie ABCD (Any Body Can Dance), directed by Remo D'Souza and choreographed by the renowned dancer Ganesh Acharya. "ABCD is an out-and-out dance film. It is 3D, which is the best part," Deva said during the film's wrap party in Mumbai. "You can see better dancers than me in this film – it was very tough for me to match their steps." Deva said he never interfered with the direction of ABCD: "I didn't disturb Remo. I helped him by not giving any help or tips. They are better than me. How can I tell them what to do?" ABCD, which co-stars Ganesh Acharya, Dharmesh Yelande and Salman Khan, is set for a September 15 release. * IANS

Urumi wins at Madrid film festival

The Malayalam film Urmi, starring Prithviraj and Genelia D'Souza, won best film at the Imagineindia International Film Festival held from May 17 to 31 in Madrid. Santhosh Sivan also won the best director trophy for it. The best actress award went to Deepti Naval for her performance in Memories in March, while Salim Kumar won best actor for Adaminte Makan Abu. The music composer trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy walked away with the trophy for best music, for their work in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, directed by Zoya Akhtar. More than 70 films were screened in the 12-section festival, organised to promote Indian cinema in Europe. * IANS

Riteish Deshmukh wants serious material

The actor Riteish Deshmukh, known for his hit comedy films, announced he has two projects in the pipeline: a thriller and a dark comedy. "They're serious films, different from what I do," he said. Asked if he is tired of portraying comic roles, he said: "I am not bored of comedies – I've done four. I just want to try new things." Deshmukh was last seen in Housefull 2, released last April. He just finished shooting Kya Super Kool Hain Hum, directed by Sachin Yardi and co-starring Tusshar Kapoor and Sarah-Jane Dias, due for an August 2 release. * IANS